SEASON OPENER PREVIEW

The season starts off with a big bang, as two of the most dominant big men in TGBL history face off (although no one will be “bigger” than TGBL and SU alumnus Simon Kim). Billy Kang, the center for Team 3, averaged a whopping 8.5PPG and 11.5RPG last year as a junior. His opposing counterpart, Howard Rim, was the top rebounder in TGBL last season. The game also showcases the talents of the freshmen – Ben Choe, Mike Sur, and Jason Kim – as well as other new faces such as Justin Kim.

Key Player (Team 3): Justin Kim.

During pick-up games, he has shown flashes of potential as a dominant rebounder. If he can help box out other rebounders on Team 4 such as Joy Min and James Choi, he will aid Billy Kang greatly in his battle against Howard Rim.

Key Player (Team 4): Mike Sur.

Although the coaching and defensive/offensive strategies remain largely unknown, it seems that Mike Sur will be get a bulk of minutes guarding Thomas Kim, known last season for his deadly corner trey (TCT, for those of you with good memories). Mike Sur needs to contain not only Thomas Kim’s shot, but also his dribble penetration, if he wants his team to succeed defensively.

Prediction: 21-17 Team 4.

If Howard Rim can hold Billy Kang defensively, he should significantly depress Team 3’s offense. That coupled with Joy Min’s offensive contributions as well as the revival of Dan Choi (former Grovian 3PT great) and James Choi’s across-the-board contributions, Team 4 should be able to win this game.

*Live Feed

A source close to TGBL Writing Staff has shared Joy Min’s private thoughts on the game. The source spoke under the condition of anonymity for personal reasons. Says Min, “I want a press conference and a live video feed after I win us the game. . . I’m gonna average 10ppg.”

Breakdown of Game 2 (Team 1 vs. Team 2):

Overview:

In game two, we bring you Wilson Pak, captain of last season’s championship team (Beastmode). He will face off against a strong offensive team in Team 1. Besides the known threats, Team 2 also features the new talents of SungHwan Kim, Brian Kim, Will Zhou, and Joe Hyun. In pre-season scrimmages, all of these players showed an aptitude for getting the ball in the basket.

Key Player (Team 1): Gary Ng.

As the primary distributor for this team, it will be imperative for Gary Ng to be wise and control the offensive tempo and shot selection. If Ng can manage this team efficiently, it will become one of the most threatening offensive teams in the league.

Key Players (Team 4): Joshua Lee, Matt Park.

As the only veterans of this youthful squad besides Pak, Lee and Park need to show support and leadership alongside Pak in order to have composure throughout the game. Furthermore, Lee’s rebounding and Park’s defense/shooting need to be at a high level if this team wants to relieve some pressure from Pak’s shoulders.

Prediction: 21-17 Team 1.

Since this is the first week, neither team will have had very much time to practice. Therefore, it might be difficult without a set defensive scheme for Team 2 to stop all of the scorers that are contained within Team 1. If Nick Wong, JJ Kim, and Danny Ryu are feeling it, they will be a very difficult team to beat.